For Old Time's Sake
by Watermalone
Summary: Set 13 years after the current series' timeline, this work of fiction follows the story of Marco Diaz's wedding in the eyes of Marco and Star, up until its final moments. My first ever written work so please feel free to criticize and give advice! *Currently on hiatus*
1. Chapter 1

**Heya folks it's Watermalone here writing my first ever Fanfiction!**

 **So this is the first time I have ever written anything at all *cough cough*.. But I do admit that I am quite a fan of the show, and although I would prefer to maintain my anonymity I felt compelled to write down an idea that I have had circulating through my head after reading the exceptionally well written material that I have had the chance to skim over (and thus, reread), from this great community.**

 **As for the story, don't expect too much. Is all I can say.**

 **Anyways, without further ado... I present my first (and depending how this goes, perhaps not last) piece of work. I am open to criticism and PMs however, please keep it under Gordon Ramsay meets Simon Cowell level thanks! :)**

 **I do not own SVTFOE or anything related to the show except this (otherwise I would be presenting this idea to a board room not you guys).**

* * *

 **For Old Time's Sake**

Marco Diaz's POV

"2:00 AM"

The red lines could not have burned a clearer image into the young man's mind as he quietly rolled over in his trance-like state hoping to ease his fluttering nerves.

"I sure hope I made the right choice"

The words seemed to echo distantly in the encapsulated room as his eyes closed in a fervent attempt to gain some peace from the fast thudding of his agitated heart.

"Thud-dum"

"Thud-dum"

"THUD-DUM"

The internal drum-beat rang louder and louder as he forced his eyes back open, a single bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

He couldn't take it any longer. Weakly, he forced himself into an upright position, leaning against the pillow propped neatly behind his head. He sighed, and flicked on the lamp located on the bedside nightstand. Light flooded the room like a soft wave landing on the sea shore allowing him to observe everything in his room.

No, _their_ room.

He sighed and peered around the peacefully lit bedroom, but his eyes caught only one object which hung loosely on the doorknob.

It sure was sleek. Not to mention it was surprisingly comfortable. The tailor mentioned that he appeared "dapper" and "noble" in it. Whatever that meant.

A simple black tuxedo. With a red tie.

It had to be the most clichéd dressing for any man to wear to a formal event. Heck, his father was probably going to wear something that looked the exact same. But it was his day, he knew, and no matter what people could say about his attire, it couldn't take away from the fact that it was his wedding.

His _wedding._

 **His** wedding?

His wedding his wedding his wedding his wedding his wedding.

No matter how many times he rephrased it in his mind. The mantra only made less and less sense. It seemed ethereal. Too good to be true. Something just didn't feel right about it.

He brushed off the feeling. Lack of sleep and anxiety was never a good combination.

He glanced over at the digital clock perched angular to the opposite nightstand hoping for some kind of answer to the reality of the situation.

"2:02 AM"

He groaned and flopped face first back onto his pillow attempting, and finally succeeding, to grip the sweet caress of sleep.

 _(Hours later)_

An alarm? No. It couldn't be. It's only been like, an hour. 2 hours tops. Right?

Marco slowly lifted his head to meet, face-to-face, the entity causing the distress.

"8:04 AM"

Fear slammed him like a semi hauling a literal tonne of bricks.

"I'm LAAATE!" He shouted at the clock, which continued to mock him with the incessant 'beeping'.

He forced himself to get ready, brushing his hair and combing his teeth. Next up, a shower, shave, shirt, shoes... The list felt endless. In the midst of all the chaos. There was a light rapping on the bedroom door.

"Marco..?" The voice awkwardly questioned.

No answer.

"Maaarcooo!" The voice called, louder this time.

Still nothing.

The door flung open, slamming the wall behind it, stopping Marco dead in his tracks.

"MARCO!"

In all of the confusion Marco hadn't noticed the annoyed figure attempting to make means of communication.

"Ferg!" Marco cried, "I'm late!"

"Yeah, we all noticed" Ferguson rolled his eyes. "And I thought he was bad during college." he muttered to himself under his breath.

"What was that?" Marco turned around holding a sock to his foot in a lame attempt to get dressed.

"Nothing!" He held up his arms in fear as Marco turned back around focusing next on the vest folded neatly on the chair next to the dresser.

Ferguson sighed a breath of relief before continuing, "The car is waiting out in the front. You should've been ready like, half an hour ago"

"I know I know I know it's just- never mind" Marco cut himself off as he straightened his jacket in the mirror and fixed his hair.

"Never mind what?" Ferguson inquired.

"I- just-... had a bad sleep alright?" Fixing his red tie, he turned around to face Ferguson, arms outstretched. "So, do I look presentable?" He asked with a crooked smile.

It was years since he had graduated college. Years since he had fought monsters in his backyard or sprinted through magical dimensions as a pastime, and as a result, he had spent a lot more time working out and practicing karate on his own time to compensate for this void in his life. He sure looked good at the age of 27.

"Ehh, good enough" Ferguson created a teetering motion with his hands as demonstration. "Now, LET'S GO!" He pointed out the door as Marco marched himself downstairs to the main hallway.

Upon reaching the van parked outside his home he noticed everyone inside. His mother, dressed in an elegant blue dress, his father, dressed in a bold black tuxedo sporting an equally bold, dark blue tie to match his mother. Finally his groomsmen, Alfonso, Jared and Chris, all donning matching suits with orange yellow and pink ties, respectively.

All his groomsmen looked great. The years had definitely changed Ferguson and Alfonso. Ferguson lost the baby fat and gained a bit of muscle, still a bit tubby, but more hardened. Alfonso was still skinny, not much taller, however, he filled out a lot more after high school. The odd speech pattern sadly was no different.

Both Jared and Chris met Marco through freshman year courses at their college. After graduation, they agreed to start up a local software company located in Marco's hometown, Echo Creek. It wasn't before long that Marco decided to call up his old ECA buddies to catch up on old times.

Ferguson ushered Marco into the passenger's seat of the van before flooring the gas pedal, speeding off to the wedding pavilion, and mushing everyone backwards into their seats.

As the clear stained glass dome of the wedding pavilion came into view, Marco couldn't help but sigh, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, setting ablaze the scenery with peace and tranquility in a soft orange glow.

"No turning back now." He whispered.

* * *

 **Well that was about as far as I can go for right now. I have already made plans to continue this story some more so think of this as a kind of "prologue". However if it sucks too much I might just discontinue it all together.**

 **As you may have noticed, the story seemed to... avoid a certain character... maybe they're important... maybe they're not. Maybe they'll play a large role in the next installment... Either way reviews and comments deeply appreciated as I am always looking for some criticism and advice! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sitting alone in my car staring into the empty night sky while listening to Perfect by Hedley... What better way to get inspired?**

 **Heya folks it's Watermalone here with the next segment of this little story. Sorry to all my readers I was hoping to get some feedback before starting the next chapter but I got super anxious and started anyways!**

 **And without further (further) ado... Here is chapter 2 :)**

* * *

Star Butterfly's POV

It was a hard night to sleep through. The castle was, as usual, too quiet for her.

"2:00 AM" she sighed under her breath staring intently at the vintage analogue clock positioned above her canopy bed.

She strode over to the balcony of her room overlooking the peaceful kingdom of Mewni. Well, peaceful in the sense that it was quiet. There was probably some poor villager being devoured by some 7 headed lion serpent hybrid thing in the forest as we speak.

She turned back around to face her empty room again.

"Empty." The word escaped her lips as quickly as she formulated the thought.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she sunk to the ground, leaning against the doorframe. A glint of white caught the corner of her eye as she glanced sideways and noticed the sheet of paper lying underneath her bed.

She reached over to the slightly crumpled sheet and dragged it out from underneath the bed.

 _"You are formally invited to the wedding of Erica Catherine Goodman and Marco Ubaldo Diaz on the 22nd of July, two-thousand and twenty eight."_ She whispered to herself, her cracked voice echoed inside the massive bedchamber.

It just wasn't fair. Life hadn't been fair. All she ever wanted was to live her life the way she wanted, free from the shackles of "responsibility" and escape the unblinking stare of "perfection". All she wanted was _him_.

There was no point in crying anymore. The years had consumed what little tears she had left to shed. There was nothing left inside except...

"Emptiness." She sighed again, this time, in despair.

How could she possibly show her face to him now? She could never stand the thought of being away from her closest, no, _best_ friend and yet, here she was, 5 years later, avoiding him like the plague. Eventually the calls stopped incoming, messages became scarce, and updates were reduced to less than once a blue moon (which on Mewni was once every 9th week). It had only been about 2 months since she received this mysterious invitation from Earth, hopes built so high on seeing her beloved best friend again, only to have her world shattered beneath her.

Another sigh breathed heavily into the quiet abyss before her.

Maybe it would be best for her to go. Show some support, be the best friend she could still be, and put on a smile to send him on his way, his happy way, never to look back...

She looked back up at the clock.

"2:02 AM"

And tears filled her eyes again as she quietly whimpered into her folded arms.

* * *

 **Hmmm I tried making this longer but I realized that would be unfair since I want to hear your feedback first. The story is progressed as far as I want it to for now so I want to leave this for a few days, hear some criticism and, after all that crying is done, start writing again! Again I apologize for the length of this chapter however I will ensure to continue writing and update as soon as possible to make it up to you guys!**

 **And as always... Reviews and comments are deeply appreciated and I hope to see you in my (possible) next installment of this story! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**All I can say is... Wow...**

 **Heya folks it's Watermalone here with a somewhat anticipated chapter 3 of this story!**

 **As this is my first time publishing anything, I am so glad that this story has received some great attention from you viewers! To those of you who faved, followed, reviewed or even just read my story, I owe you a huge thanks! By that I mean this chapter was made much longer just for you awesome people! (Not a coincidence at all!)**

 **And as I always say, without much further ado, I present chapter 3. Read, review, relax, and enjoy!**

 **I have to mention that I'm neither rich enough nor important enough to own anything related to SVTFOE! :)**

* * *

Star Butterfly's POV

She twirled in front of the mirror, gently twisting one side to the next inspecting the backside of the dress. It was beautiful. The royal seamstresses had worked tirelessly for the past month trying to create such a refined garment to suit her.

A light pink, strapless dress split diagonally from the left shoulder to the right hip in glitter, hugged her curves tightly and finished with a bow wrapped around the midsection. It flowed all the way to the floor, pooling by her feet like liquid. Aside from its simplistic elegance, the material was so soft it made her feel like she was being embraced by a cloud.

She smiled. But it was withdrawn as quickly as it appeared.

It _felt_ perfect, it _looked_ perfect, but her reflection could not help but display a look of sadness. Definitely not the dress she wished she was putting on.

She sat down on the bed, careful enough to fold the dress around her legs so as to not wrinkle the fabric. Heaven forbid anything happen to this dress, her mother would have a fit.

She chuckled to herself slightly. Marco always said that she looked like her mother. _"But if you ever start acting like her we're gonna have to stop being friends."_

The words hung in her mind for a few seconds as she drew herself into his memory. The dorky face, the awkward disposition, the uncoordinated, clumsy and yet, lovable fool. _The Safe Kid_. She never let him live down that name. Even to this day the thought never crossed her mind without the painted image of his displeased visage. Wrinkled nose, furrowed brows, eyes rolling over in annoyance, a small whine before:

 _"For the last time Star, I'm a misunderstood bad boy!"_

But every time, she could notice a small grin creep along his lips, some complacent smile that let her know that he would always love his best friend.

Two knocks. "Star, honey, it is time to leave." This snapped Star out of her trance.

"Coming mother!" She answered back.

Getting up, she slipped into the matching heels she was given, also pink with lace bows across the tip, and gave one final stare into the polished mirror.

She smiled. This time a happy smile. She wanted her last memory with him to be a perfect one. No more tears, no more sadness, no feelings left behind.

The door creaked open as she came face-to-face with her parents. They adorned soft expressions upon their age-worn faces. They had known she was crying.

"Star-" her father began.

"It's fine- er, I'm fine" she corrected herself.

Her parents gave each other a knowing glance. A moment passed, and they ushered their beautiful daughter forth, outside to the manticore-drawn carriage.

It reminded her of her first day on Earth, and also her last day.

A beautiful sun-filled cloudless summer day.

"Manfred, a portal to Earth, if you will!" She heard her father call.

The scissors sliced through the fabric of space and time, creating a swirling rift which floated serenely in front of the carriage. Very faintly, she could see an outline of a large white structure with a transparent dome surrounded by trees and shrubs. This type of foliage only existed in one dimension she knew.

Earth. It was as beautiful as when she had left. The sun had risen above the glass dome of the wedding pavilion in a picturesque manner creating the illusion of a bright glow of light that reflected off of the glass panes.

When the carriage halted, the doors swung open to reveal her father holding an outstretched hand in offering. She took it, and slowly glided down the steps as she set foot onto the pavement, still cold and dampened from the morning dew.

Her mother came out next, wearing traditional navy blue Mewnian royalty attire, a crown precariously perched between her hive-styled updo. Her father, adorning an equally royal naval blue uniform, clasped her mother's hand as she made her way down onto the sidewalk. Hooking her arm around her father's, the two strode into the pavilion followed closely by an awestricken Star, still in wonder of how her parents were so lucky to find such a perfect romance in this insane game those dubbed 'life'.

Star shook herself from the thoughts upon noticing they had entered the building. The wedding pavilion was larger inside than it appeared outside. A long staircase stretched from a balcony, which supported several closed doors that must have led further into the building. The centremost doors were painted a pure white, each with a single panel of stained glass in the centre depicting two swans nuzzling their beaks together in such a way that their necks formed a heart. A bit clichéd in terms of decoration, but heartfelt and beautiful nonetheless.

To the left was a short hallway. She followed her parents through only to enter an infinitely grand room, topped by the glass dome which they had observed upon arrival.

The dome itself was magnificent, rings of glass panes circled in a beautiful ripple-type pattern, alternating clear and colorless rings with transparent red ones. The sun barely peeked over the stone wall before it begun to cast its full glow upon the entire grand hall and its residents. She gazed upwards at the hypnotic display, eyes glazed over at the wondrous beauty, until an arm gently pulled her away.

 _Third row from the front, seat five._ She spotted a white upright chair with a cushion patterned with embroidered flowers. Very regal looking at first glance. Atop the white cushion was a small folded note which stated, simply, with cursive font:

" _Reserved: Butterfly Family_ "

Removing the label, she took its place sitting down on the cushion. It was soft but the chair was clearly not fashioned for comfort. She awkwardly sunk downwards in it, feeling the wooden back argue with her spine.

It wasn't before long she noticed the sounds of audience becoming less restless. Footsteps echoed through the hallway behind where they had entered.

The crowd calmed to a silence as he strode into the room.

 _The Safe Kid._

* * *

 _(9 Years Ago)_

 _"Hi-YA!" Marco forced his leg up straight into the beak of Big Chicken._

 _"Blueberry Bullet Barrage!" Star shouted at an oncoming Three-eyed-Potato-Baby, embedding about 40 miniature blueberries into his face and sending him flying into the cactus garden._

 _"I SWEAR IF YOU GUYS FAIL THIS I'M TAKING AWAY THE FOOSBALL TABLE FOR A MONTH!" Ludo cried furiously, watching a swift Marco throw Bearicorn into a charging Deer Beard with ease._

 _"Woo nice one there Marco!" Star watched as he rolled around Buff Frog's bear hug only to come up behind the tactless reptile and drop kick him in the back._

 _"STAR WATCH OUT!" He yelled in shock, pointing behind her._

 _Star turned around in curiosity. "Huh?" Only to see Man Arm throw a humongous right hook at her. "AHH!" Screaming, she dove out of the way, however, Man Arm had been fortunate enough to clip the side of her leg with his gigantic fist. She rolled on the grass until she came to a halt below the shadow of a large stone statue._

 _"Owowowow!" She was in pain. Any attempt to stand up was hindered by a huge stinging sensation in her leg that caused her to collapse._

 _Instead, her eyes darted frantically about searching for the wand (which lay just behind her), hoping to figure out a way to mend her leg. All of a sudden, the stone statue above her began to shake._

 _She always admired the Diaz's odd appreciation of art. The figure was like the Statue of Liberty, except instead of Lady Liberty herself, it was a crocodile. And instead of a torch, it was a hot dog. It must have weighed a tonne._

 _She looked up, Emmitt and Lobster Claws were trying to tip it over, thus crushing her. Desperately, she tried shuffling away, her leg completely spent in pain._

 _It was going to end here. She closed her eyes and waited for the worst._

 _A flash of red._

 _An eye peeked open to see Marco, in a classic Atlas pose, hunched over her weak body, and clearly struggling to hold up the large block of stone with his back._

 _He gasped for breath, heel digging into the soft lawn._

 _"WAND... NOW!" He managed to huff. Her mind snapped back to reality._

 _Dragging herself with her arms, army style, she crawled her way towards the wand. Ears ringing, head spinning, leg in oh so much pain, she managed to grasp the wand and shout the most destructive sentence that came to mind._

 _"NUCLEAR RAINBOW DEVASTATION BLAST!"_

 _A bright rainbow mushroom cloud formed over where she lay. Followed by silence._

 _The lawn was trashed. All the plants in the garden were either on fire or blown apart, monsters were scattered to the edges of the fence, groaning in pain, and the statue-_

 _Wait. THE STATUE!_

 _She turned her head to see a broken and cracked crocodile Lady Liberty lying face first in the dirt. WHERE WAS MARCO?_

 _As though the universe was answering her, she heard weak moaning from behind the stone remains._

 _Marco stood up clutching his head._

 _"Ughhh that was... some spell... Really... intense." He rubbed the shoulder of his hoodie, singed by the explosion._

 _"MARCO! Are you okay?" She feebly attempted, and failed, to stand up._

 _Clutching her injury, she grit her teeth in pain. "Hrngh-" was all she could muster._

 _Quicker than she could register, Marco was by her side._

 _"Woah.. Okay.. There's blood." He shielded his eyes from the disgusting sight._

 _She looked down at her leg. Indeed there was blood. Horrified, she raised her wand, remembering something her book of spells may have said about injuries._

 _Marco grabbed her arm and shook his head. "Maybe magic isn't the best way to go."_

 _She looked into his knowing hazel-brown eyes. They sure looked exhausted._

 _"Useless monsters... can't even take a stupid princess down." They turned to the source of the muttering._

 _"INTO THE PORTAL YOU LOSERS! I AM PUTTING THIS ON_ _ **ALL**_ _OF YOUR_ _ **PERMANENT RECORDS!**_ _" Ludo shouted at his loyal, yet hapless army, veins protruding all over his miniature bird-like head._

 _The portal closed, and Marco returned his attention back to Star's leg._

 _"I think it might be broken. Maybe if I could just find something.." his voice trailed off. Sighing, he stopped looking around and unzipped his hoodie to tie a makeshift cast around the injury._

 _"Ouch! Marco that's too tight!" Star complained._

 _"It has to be that tight. Now come on, let's get you into the living room so you can sit down. Keep your weight off of that leg and make sure it stays straight. I'll call mom first and then I'll drive you to the hospital." Taken aback by this sudden 'take-charge' attitude, she nodded._

 _Breathing in deeply he hooked his arm underneath hers and lifted her up carefully. Star then threw her arm around his shoulders, and hopped on one foot into the house with Marco supporting her._

 _Upon reaching the living room, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity._

 _"Marco?"_

 _"Yeah?" He looked at her unblinkingly._

 _"That statue- I mean, it looked- and you just-"_

 _"Oh that? Nah my parents will understand-"_

 _"No." She said cutting him off. "How did you manage to hold it up like that?"_

 _"Ha.. ha" he laughed nervously "I don't actually know. I guess it must've weighed a lot 'cause my back is killing me right now!"_

 _Another nervous laugh. Star was unimpressed. "I guess I was afraid of what could've happened. I never even thought about it really- I just- y'know.. did... that." He looked at the floor. The possibility of death never even crossed his mind._

 _Her expression softened to concern._

 _Setting her down on the couch, he pulled his cellphone from his jean's pocket and plopped down next to her._

 _"Marco..." He stopped dialing. Staring into his deep, hazel-brown eyes again she felt tears forming. Blinking them away she bit her lip, raised an arm, and punched him as hard as she could right in the chest._

 _"OOF!" He doubled over in pain. "STAR! What was that for?"_

 _He looked over at the girl who was now crying into her hands. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Star?-"_

 _"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN DIAZ!" She shouted into his face and almost immediately, pulled him into a hug, crying profusely._

 _Despite his confusion, he returned the hug and started brushing his hands through her hair until she spent all her remaining energy in his embrace. The sobs turned into whimpers, the cries turned into hiccups._

 _With her arms still wrapped around his neck, he shifted his position and lifted her, bridal style. He carried her to his car, muscles sore, cuts and bruises littering his entire body, yet ignorant of all pain._

 _He set her in the passenger seat and adjusted it to a lying position so she could relax. Fastening her seatbelt, he returned to the driver's side._

 _The engine hummed to life, and he drove off, the sun setting on the quiet neighborhood._

 _Another beautiful sun-filled cloudless summer day._

 _It was almost straight out of a fairy tale._

* * *

 _(Present Day)_

She sighed at the memory. He had changed so much, the name 'Safe Kid' barely suited him at all.

Standing straight and tall he faced the audience upon reaching the top of the stage at the front of the room. He looked so proper, so handsome, so… _perfect._ Her eyes wandered to the red tie.

She huffed a breath of air and sat straight up in her seat. Breathing out she whispered to herself:

"No turning back now."

* * *

 **And there you have it! Chapter 3 is complete.**

 **In true SVTFOE fashion, I included an awesome fight (even in flashback mode), and delivered on some high quality Starco material (again in a flashback), hopefully that'll give you guys some happiness to heal the wounds left by chapter 2 so I can dump a bucket of vinegar on it in chapter 4! I mean... what..? Also I would like to note the few parallels between the characters and their personalities. As you can see, it is as though their souls were bonded together or something at one point... Odd isn't it? ;)**

 **Obviously I have plans to continue this story however I urge all my readers to dish out some criticism for the upcoming parts! Maybe I'll even take you up on some requests *wink wink*.**

 **And as always, reviews and comments are deeply appreciated so stay tuned for chapter 4 of this story! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter has been rated M for being absolutely heart** ** _melting_** **to write.**

 **Just kidding! Heya folks it's Watermalone with installment number four here!**

 **And a special thanks to all my awesome readers and reviewers who persevered my awkward stage of beginning this story and gave me the support I needed to continue writing! (You know who you are.) ;)**

 **Regarding this chapter, I must mention this is the** ** _happier_** **of the two segments I am posting next. Reason for splitting them up is because I don't want there be conflicting emotions in a single chapter (I'm thoughtful like that). However, I don't feel it was as up to par as the last one so please excuse the somewhat lackluster comparison with chapter 3, which I felt, undoubtedly, was my best written chapter so far.**

 **That being said, without any further 'ados', I present chapter 4. Read, rate, review, relax and try not to melt with cheesy, romancy goodness.**

 **I OWN SVTFOE AND WILL MAKE STARCO CANON ASAP! Is what I would say if I owned any part of the show, but I don't so you guys get stuck with this instead. :)**

* * *

Marco Diaz's POV

The air was thin, his legs were shaking, the walls were closing in. His throat contracted as his breathing became forced. He felt sweat run down his neck. It was too much.

Suddenly Marco felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Ferguson, his best man. Friends since they were in kindergarten, he always had his back. He wore a smile on his chubby face.

"Dude, you're killing the air with your stank." He calmly stated, face unchanging.

Marco glared back with contempt.

"C'mon man, you're ready," he gripped Marco firmly by the shoulders, "I've seen the way you two look at each other, it's like how girls look at me, they just can't get enough." He released Marco and struck a pose.

Marco's face softened. He was right. He _was_ ready.

"Besides, if this doesn't work out I can always hook you up with one of my contacts" he winked, "of course not one of the hotter ones but, I mean, it's not like you got standards right?"

Ferguson received an irritated groan and a slight shove in response. Behind him he could hear Alfonso giggling like a schoolgirl to himself. He whispered something to Jared and Chris who followed up with their own fits of laughter.

Marco ignored them. He had to focus on what he was going to say. It had to be perfect.

Closing his eyes he sighed a breath out, calming his nerves and stilling the beat of his heart.

It wasn't before long that the sweet orchestral symphonies began wafting through the room.

He opened his eyes, slowly, and his jaw plummeted to the floor.

"Announcing the bride to be, Ms. Erica Catherine Goodman!" The Justice of the Peace pronounced overzealously.

She was as beautiful as ever, maybe even more. The way her dress-, her hair was so- not to mention her skin, her eyes, it was-.

Even his thoughts weren't coherent.

She was clad in the most gorgeous wedding gown he had ever laid eyes upon. Pure white, appearing to flow around her in the most surreal fashion, it had been patterned with frilly flowers around her waist. A matching thin white veil, perched so delicately atop her head it was almost floating. A halo, beautifully complimenting her amazing hair. Dark gold, woven like silk and softly curled, her long hair was drawn upwards and hung two strands down her cheeks.

 _Angelic_. The first word that came to mind.

Upon approaching the first step of the platform, her father paused and whispered something into her ear. She grinned and released her dad's arm, making her way up.

Marco couldn't help but give off a goofy smile of his own. Lifting his arms, his fingers intertwined with hers as he stared deeply into her eyes.

Brown, just like his. Instantly, he found himself lost in the chocolate lakes that swirled around her pupils.

"Ahem." The Justice of the Peace cleared his throat. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of two souls becoming one in matrimony..."

As though right on cue, Marco's palms started getting sweaty again, his heartbeat echoing in his brain drowned out all external noise. He was going to have a panic attack. No. Not in front of all these people. He had to be strong.

He felt his hands being squeezed tightly. Eyes refocusing ahead of him, all his anxiety dissipated. Her charming smile had the talent to soothe the tell-tale heart.

"...On a no more special day than this. As you may know, today at exactly 11:37 AM, the sun's light will be diminished by the passing of the moon in an event we call, the solar eclipse."

It was true, Marco had planned out the details himself. They booked this specific date and time so that they could be wed under the shadow of the moon and sun coming together. It was supposed to be romantic.

Losing himself in his thoughts again, he shook his head back into reality.

He glanced behind his soon-to-be wife and saw her bridesmaids, swiftly shooting them all glares as they simultaneously rolled their eyes. He had hoped his nervousness wasn't that noticeable.

Fixing his gaze back on Erica, he watched as she repeated, without missing a beat, the traditional vows presented by the Justice of the Peace. Lost in her grace, he had never heard a word either of them said.

"Now Mr. Diaz," Marco jumped a little, "if you would repeat after me." Marco nodded.

"I Marco Ubaldo Diaz,"

Shakily, Marco reiterated. _"-I Marco Ubaldo Diaz."_

"In the presence of these witnesses do take you, Erica Catherine Goodman,"

 _"In the presence of these witnesses do take you Erica Catherine Goodman"_

 **He felt his courage building.**

"To be my lawful wedded wife"

 _"To be my lawful wedded wife"_

"From this day forward, to have and to hold"

 _"From this day forward, to have and to hold"_

 **He remembered how soft she felt.**

"For better or for worse"

 _"For better or for worse"_

 **Everything will be** ** _perfect._**

"For richer, for poorer"

 _"For richer, for poorer"_

"In sickness and in health"

 _"In sickness and in health"_

 **He wasn't afraid anymore.**

"To forever love and cherish"

 _"To forever love and cherish"_

 ** _He was ready._**

"Till death do us part"

 _"From your side, I shall never part."_ The sentence flowed automatically from his lips. Awkward and random, yet true to the heart, he meant every single word.

"Mr. Diaz, the line is-"

"I know what I said." He stated firmly, gazing back into Erica's eyes adoringly, promoting reddened cheeks from the bride. The official couldn't help but smile at the happy couple.

"Alright, now if we could have both the bride and groom exchange rings please."

Erica was first, pulling a silver wedding band away from her Maid of Honour, she lifted Marco's left hand and slipped it on his fourth finger.

"With this ring, I wed thee, Marco Ubaldo Diaz." she recited.

Marco removing his hand, reached behind him, lightly gripping the diamond ring presented to him by Ferguson.

"The rings are a symbol of the couple's undying love for each other..." The elderly official proclaimed.

Turning back, he gently lifted Erica's hand.

"...A representation that with this token, they are bound together eternally..."

Fumbling slightly, he managed to slide the stunning ring up her finger. The sunlight crossed into the path of one of the red glass panes in the dome. Moon in close pursuit to intercept.

"...Souls intertwined to start a brand new life, not as separate entities, but together as one." He motioned for Marco to speak.

"With this ring, I wed thee, Erica Catherine Goodman."

Lifting the couple's hands, still tangled together, he excitedly proclaimed to the crowd, "By the authority vested in me by the laws of the state of California, I now pronounce you..."

Marco held his breath and closed his eyes. The room was bathed in a soft red glow as the moon began to ease its way in front of the sun.

"Husband and wife!" He reopened them. The man had said something else, but it was inaudible due to the deafening cheering that emanated from the crowd.

And before he could register what the next prompt was, Erica pulled him close towards her, noses practically touching...

Dipped him downwards and planted her lips upon his. He didn't have to hear the Justice of the Peace to understand what he forgot.

The moon had completely shadowed the sun and thus, dyed the room a deep, ruby red.

More cheering, it was absolutely ear-splitting. But all cast aside in the moment. Their faces held together, in close embrace for what seemed to be eternity.

So close together, he could smell her perfume, tasted her sweet lips, he never wanted the moment to perish.

Eventually pulling away, he opened his eyes to see a grinning bride still holding him up. He straightened himself up and gave her a devilish grin.

"Huh?" A look of curiosity strewn across her face.

He bent down and lifted her up, carrying her in true bridal-style, earning a playful swat on the arm and a giggle, as he courageously paraded through the aisle, eyes locked onto hers.

He stopped halfway through the lane and leaned forward to whisper into her ear.

"My turn."

She looked at him for a split second before he met her lips with his. Passionate, yet careful, aggressive yet soft. Hungry for more of her sweet essence. More applause from the crowd.

He detached from her and continued into the hallway, faintly recalling his father yell something about the reception party to an ignorant crowd.

Upon exiting the building, he set her down gently. The moon had begun waning from its position.

"That was, amazing…" She breathed, looking up at the sky, careful to shield her eyes.

Marco turned to look at his beautiful wife. The sunlight was now returning as the moon had completed its job, almost complacent with itself, being able to create such a perfect moment.

"Yeah, it was... _perfect._ " Lost in the moment, he couldn't muster any intelligible comment. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. An oncoming stampede of romance-crazed patrons threatened to trample the two in about five seconds.

In the temporary silence, the sun, once again, shone in all its full glory, forcing the darkness to retreat.

And he couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

 **As I said, this is the happier of the two chapters I am posting next however I will hold off on bringing chapter 5 too soon so I can let this one sink in first. I'm** ** _that_** **kind of evil.**

 **You may have observed a severe lack of 'recognition' for a certain character. I know who it is, you know who it is, and so who are we kidding? Prepare yourself.**

 **And as always, reviews and comments are deeply appreciated, also PM's are fair game, I promise to reply to each one so long as there's no spam. Above all, stay tuned for the heart** ** _crushing_** **counterpart, chapter 5. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Fasten your seatbelt, keep your arms and legs inside the cart at all times, and safely store away all valuables. This rollercoaster of emotions is gonna get wild.**

 **Heya folks it's Watermalone with chapter numero five here, ready for take off!**

 **I must say, while I am indifferent to doing review responses (mostly because I'm awkward), I am pretty impressed with all your takes on that last chapter, so I'll give it a try!**

 **H. Mae: Thanks! But you already know that it only came out as tragically romantic. A bit of an oversight, but this chapter will focus Star's thoughts during the events of chapter four. Also keep bandaging that heart because there is** ** _much_** **more left to endure.**

 **thewookie1: haha just keeeeep reading**

 **EVAunit42: Hm? Why not? Maybe this chapter will clarify some of the discrepancies, but thanks for the support!**

 **acosta perez jose ramiro: Thanks I definitely will!**

 **Guest (1): wut..? If this is an honest review, please state why you dislike it, constructive criticism is always more beneficial to my writing.**

 **Guest (2): if you're the same person as guest (1), I am still confused, but thanks anyways!**

 **Jack Coffison: Interesting conclusion you're getting at, but I had something else in mind, a possible different kind of 'depressing'. The antagonisation of Erica however, is also not of my intent although I hope your assumption was drawn from a more paranoid standpoint such as Star's as opposed to my writing style. Either way thank you for the review I am definitely trying to keep this wheel turning!**

 **So this chapter was.. Painful... to say the least. I had so many ideas flying around for this part, but I could only choose a select few. Nonetheless, it's definitely how I wanted it so I hope you all enjoy! Also, some things that were left unclear about chapter four will hopefully be clarified here.**

 **A huge shout out to all my amazing readers and reviewers, this pilot project started out a bit shaky but I feel confident to take it head on now!**

 **No more further adoing, let's jump right into a long overdue chapter five!**

 **I asked Daron Nefcy if I could own SVTFOE and she threatened to have me arrested. Just kidding! Although she won't answer me... :'(**

 **(Disclaimer: I didn't actually ask her that so don't try it)**

* * *

Star Butterfly's POV

"Cute"

"Stunning"

"Absolutely magnificent"

That was all Star could hear around her. The constant murmur of 'how gorgeous' or 'incredibly beautiful' the bride-to-be looked in the dress.

They definitely weren't wrong. It was-, she was-, er, she _looked_ amazing in that dress.

She watched Erica and her father slowly approach the platform until, they stopped. Her father turned to face her. Leaning over, he whispered into her ear. Barely audible, but still recognizable, Star could overhear from where she was seated.

"You're lucky I like this one."

Of course he did. Who didn't like Marco? He was the complete package. Fun but responsible, dorky but charming, soft-hearted but strong-willed. He could have any girl he wanted.

Marco grasped Erica's hands, their eyes never parting from one another.

It wasn't hard to tell which girl _that_ was.

"...On a no more special day than this. As you may know, today at exactly 11:37 AM, the sun's light will be diminished by the moon in an event we call, the solar eclipse."

Star looked to the sky, indeed a rare sight, the moon appeared to be approaching the rising sun at an alarming rate.

Despite the constant droning of the Justice of the Peace, she recalled none of it. Her eyes only followed Marco. Every detail etched into her mind. The way he awkwardly shifted, his eyes starting to glaze over, his trembling arms...

Nervous. Classic Marco.

Then he stopped. Star knew why the instant he smiled. None could compare to the smile only Marco Diaz possessed. It was probably the sweetest, most 'melt-your-heart' kind of smile that just made you wanna grin in return. He really loved this girl.

That didn't come as a surprise. It was only the year after they graduated high school that the two had met. In fact Star had _introduced_ them to each other. Sparks flew instantly.

Marco was still mourning the sudden departure of Jackie Lynn Thomas, as she was going to be attending an east coast university to study marine biology. Star and Marco had decided on staying in California to pursue their own personal degrees at UCLA.

She, reluctantly, chose Political Sciences due to her soon-to-be-needed presence in the Mewnian court, Marco aiming instead for Computer Engineering and Logistics. It sounded complicated. And boring.

Star had met Erica in her first Poli-Sci class. Not long after first sitting down next to each other, the two became close friends.

She was intelligent, Star could tell, by the way she took notes with confidence, and raised her hand every time the professor asked the class a question, answering flawlessly.

Erica was also fun-loving and hyperactive, just like Star. She also liked to make random adorable doodles in her notebook of strange little creatures. When Star poofed one particular little bunny, Pegasus, spider in a top hat mixture to life, she giggled and wrapped it in a hug, thanking Star. Star even gave Erica her own devil-horn headband after she complimented hers.

Not to mention, she was pretty cute. It was easy to tell that Marco felt the same way the day she introduced them to each other.

A week had passed since the first days of class, the leaves had begun to shade a fiery red and orange, in preparation of the first snowfall.

* * *

 _(9 Years Ago)_

 _"Hey Marco! I want you to meet my awesome new friend, Erica!" The two bounded towards the busy looking Marco, hunched over a laptop, a textbook and a tuna sandwich._

 _Marco glanced up, removing the glasses he wore for studying._

 _"Hey Ericaaaahhhh-" his jaw practically hit the floor. Eyes widened to the size of tennis balls._

 _Erica giggled in response, as though he couldn't be more obvious._

 _"Hiya Marco, nice to meet you!" She produced an outstretched hand. Marco gently grabbed it, forcing his tongue back into his mouth. "Star's told me a lot about you, it seems like you two are really close."_

 _Marco just kept staring. Still not letting go of her hand._

 _"Um... Does he do this to everyone?" she whispered to Star._

 _Star giggled, "Only to the pretty ones." Erica flushed red. "Here let me help!"_

 _She walked to Marco's side and poked him, right underneath the ribcage. He was so ticklish._

 _He cringed and let go of Erica's hand. Embarrassed, he apologized to her. She withdrew her hand, cheeks burning redder than ever._

 _"Haha it's cool." She looked around, still caught off guard by Star's comment, "a-anyways I gotta get going, class- soon heh." She turned around and walked away, completely flustered._

 _Marco slapped his own face in frustration. "I. Am. A. MORON."_

 _"Oh don't feel too bad, I've seen you do worse." Star wasn't that comforting. "Besiiiides, I think she like you too!"_

 _Marco was still speechless, "I- dunno- its just-" he stammered. Taking a deep breath he spoke more coherently._

 _"I just don't think I'm ready to move on."_

 _Star stared at him incredulously. "Not ready..? TO MOVE ON? Diaz it's been five months!" Lifting her hands she counted her fingers, shoving five of them in his face to provide visual example. "See?"_

 _It was true, he needed to accept the fact that he was no longer a love interest of his 'forever-crush', Jackie. He needed to rebound somehow._

 _"What about you?" He argued, pushing her hands away, "It's been long enough since Oskar was gone from your life, have YOU found someone else yet?"_

 _Star bit her lip, "Y-yeah I did." She looked up at him. He frowned, regretful of raising his voice at such a sensitive topic._

 _"Well who is it?" He asked._

 _"Oh he's sweet, charming, kind, intelligent, pretty muscular, modest..." Her voice trailed off. She was staring at him._

 _"No name huh? I won't pry, a girl like you should have no problem getting someone like that if he's as good as he sounds." He shrugged, sat back down, and returned his vision to his laptop._

 _"Maybe I'll meet him someday."_

 _"Yeah," Star's voice was uneasy, "maybe." There was a pause._

 _"Shouldn't you be getting to class or something?" Realization struck her._

 _"Shooot! I'm late!" She turned on her heel and began dashing away from his table. Looking back one last time she shouted to him, "Don't worry I'll be sure to set you and Erica up again soon!" She turned her head back before she could comprehend what that implied._

 _It was fated to be, and the best she could do was be on the right side of history._

 _Star knew they would get together eventually. Marco grew out of the awkward stage (many months later), finally making the first move into asking if she would accompany him to a new superhero movie in theaters at the time. Some blind guy skilled at kicking butt, of course he would suggest that._

 _As it turned out, Erica was a martial arts champion as well, successfully winning regional tournaments in the San Diego area where she lived, as well as Northern California in Sacramento._

 _Details regarding how the movie date went were never divulged._

 _Both skilled fighters, both so intelligent and studious, both kind and caring, they even had the same brown eyes. They couldn't have been a more perfect fit._

* * *

 _(Present Day)_

"Now Mr. Diaz," Star returned her eyes back to the stage, "if you would repeat after me."

"I Marco Ubaldo Diaz"

 _"I Marco Ubaldo Diaz"_

This was really happening. They were going to be married. What little chance this may have been all a dream now had been quashed permanently.

 _"...From this day forward, to have and to hold"_

Was it time to let go? Was this the end of the line for the dynamic duo? It couldn't be. She didn't want it to end like this. She wasn't ready.

 _"For better, or for worse"_

She felt angry at herself, it wasn't worth it. Why get so sad and tearful over him? Sure he was cool and all, but he wasn't the last guy in the entire multiverse.

 _"For richer, for poorer"_

A pang of guilt. Maybe this was all her fault, could she have prevented this? No, that would be unfair to him...

 _"In sickness and in health"_

Wait. Unfair? UNFAIR? The only 'unfair' going on was in her life, NOT his. He's the lucky devil getting married to the love of his life after all. It was only 'fair' that she deserved some kind of silver lining! Right?

 _"To forever love and cherish"_

She wanted to scream. She wanted to stop everything with a wave of her wand and just destroy everything in sight. She couldn't be happy ONCE in her entire life and fate decides to play _this_ cruel joke on her? Was that all her life was? Someone's stupid idea for a sitcom?

Jaw clenched, knuckles turning white from gripping the sides of her seat she leaned forward, prepared to take action.

 _"From your side, I shall never part"_

She stopped. He rarely said anything at all poetic. Really cheesy, albeit, but poetic nonetheless.

Shocked by her own internal outburst, her expression dropped as she leaned back against her seat. She knew what he meant by that statement.

He had already moved on.

The anger evaporated from her eyes as she relinquished her death grip on the seat, and massaged the feeling back into her palms. It was time for her to move on too, so why couldn't she?

Why was there any anger left anyways? Who could she be angry at? This wasn't Marco's fault, certainly not Erica's, one can't simply point the finger at the sky and blame existence itself. That only left one person.

She looked down at her feet. The hardwood shimmered beneath her dress, faintly reflecting the sun beginning to become swallowed by the moon.

She glanced upwards as the room began to become bathed in a soft, ruby glow. The solar eclipse had begun.

"By the power vested in me by the laws of the state of California..."

The familiar room became darker. Redder.

"I now pronounce you..."

Star closed her eyes, a single tear escaped, slipping down her cheek. A sad smile drew itself with her lips, remembering the dark red hue of the ballroom the night they had danced together, so many years ago.

"Husband and wife!" Instantly the crowd erupted in shouts and screams of joy.

"You may kiss the bride!" Star wiped the tear away and clapped for the new couple. Smirking ever so slightly, she watched Erica dip Marco downwards and kiss him passionately.

Marco retaliated by lifting his new soulmate bridal style, and carried her down the aisle. He stopped at the fifth row, leaned forward and whispered something to Erica, and proceed to plant another kiss on her lips. The crowd roared louder as the two made their way out the grand entrance hall. Marco was such a dork. A cute, goofy, awkward, dumb dork.

Mr. Diaz ran up on stage and shouted about something happening at 7:00 PM that night. Nobody paid any attention.

Some of the crowd managed to push their way out of their rows, intent on getting more pictures of the newlyweds. Star stood up from her uncomfortable seat and walked around the grand hall to stretch her legs after everything calmed down. It had been a tense hour.

Her eyesight lifted once more to the ceiling, the light had shifted from a deep red as the moon floated aimlessly away from the path of the sun. A perfect ending, she supposed.

Suddenly she was gently shoved from behind.

"HAAAAY GURLFRIEEEND!" Star turned to the source of the voice.

"Oh my gooosh! Pony Head! You're here?"

"Ya~ I could never miss the Turdinator's big day duhhh. Plus daddy's gone off to talk with your parents about... Whatever it is old people talk about."

Princess Pony Head had definitely matured over the years. Still high-spirited, she outgrew her rebellious phase and started taking up more responsibilities regarding political decisions for her kingdom back in their home dimension, Mewni. However, she still referred to Marco as Earth Turd, even after so long. Some things didn't change.

"So you stickin' around for the sweet after partaaaay?" Pony Head flew around Star's head in excitement.

"Um... I'm not sure. I think my dad had some important.. lecture stuff, and you know my mom, how she is, plus I got... stuff... to do" Star softly trailed off, avoiding Pony Head's look of disbelief.

No answer.

"It's true! I mean, the castle has been needing a new drawbridge, there's been talk of revolt amongst the town square, not to mention my room is a disaster and-"

"-And you don't wanna see Marco." Pony Head interrupted her thoughts.

Star sighed. "Yeah, I just can't."

"Girl, I know it's been hard for you, being away from him for so long, and now _this,_ " she motioned to the grand hall decorated in white bells and streamers, "but you have to understand that he's still your best friend, and no matter what, you need to be there for him. He would do the same for you."

Star stared at the ground. Her heart ached. It couldn't take anymore pain. _She_ couldn't take it anymore.

"B-fly? You okay?"

Silence.

"B-fly..?"

"NO! NO I'M NOT OKAY!" She grabbed her childhood friend and began sobbing. "What's wrong with me? Why can't anything ever just _work_? I've tried, I've tried and I've tried to be the best person I possibly could but, nothing _ever_ goes my way!" Tears continued to flow.

"Hey, hey, hey there, girl, how about we go outside and you can let it all out there, hm?"

She led Star out the side entrance quickly before anyone noticed the commotion.

* * *

 **Hoo-boy. My arms are actually shaking. I went on a huge writing spree, and honestly I don't feel like I can handle anymore of the feels. But I shall endure, for chapter six will only bring us more emotional instability!**

 **I know all of you were expecting something else from this chapter, but please bear with me, I am getting to the juicy stuff. I was pretty much only holding out for this beginning. Prepare for the onslaught!**

 **Also, as a side note, I will be dealing with some... personal stuff... the next few days and as a result, I won't be doing any writing. But fear not! I have spent the entirety of today crunching my phone keyboard and, as a result, have 2 more chapters all ready to go! The story will still be updated regularly but keep in mind that everything was written in advance so I'm sorry if you really wanted to see something, but I intentionally left it out. It's just because I don't have time to make changes to the current story anymore. Thank you for all for understanding!**

 **And as always, reviews and comments are deeply appreciated, you guys know I could never have made it this far if it weren't for your criticism and support! Stay tuned for the heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, tissue-burning continuation of my project in chapter six!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I sincerely apologize, from the bottom of my heart, for chapter five.**

 **Heya folks it's Watermalone here with chapter six, hopefully it's what was needed to get this story back on its feet.**

 **A quick thank you to all my faithful reviewers and followers before the review responses, I must say chapter five was quite problematic, but you guys were supportive nonetheless!**

 **Jack Coffison: Of course! I didn't mean to call out anyone who thought the same, I just thought it would be a twist to see the characters interact in such a way that is unfamiliar to the audience. As for the story, all I can say is that there will be a happy ending. Take that how you will!**

 **H. Mae: As we discussed, this wasn't the chapter I'm most proud of, it was pretty much filler for what anyone could've guessed based on the story's premise, but I had to clear a few things up from her side, and thus that monstrosity was made. And oh my gosh I checked out that picture you drew on your tumblr and... I am speechless. Perfectly drawn, it gave such a flashback to when I loved that show on Nickelodeon. One sided love really does hurt /3.**

 **acosta perez jose ramiro: Thanks! You're too kind especially after that awkward chapter.**

 **thewookie1: Very true, Star was his best friend but if he ever realized his feelings for her, it would be too late for him to pursue her because their time together would be cut short, thus he moved on and created a love interest with Erica instead. And as far as using a time machine would go... I'm not sure how it relates to chapter one but even if you could go back in time, why would it be to take away your best friends future happiness?**

 **ACDCMCST: I know! So many feels in my head from writing! Thanks for the support it means a lot!**

 **EVAunit42: Haha I know right? Thanks for the support, the internal conflict was actually my first inspiration for this chapter, despite the fact it wasn't built on much. Also I didn't mean to call anyone out on that last chapter, I just found it nice and cute how quick everyone was to defend the Starco!**

 **As I mentioned before, this chapter was written in advance. Due to my personal issues I won't be writing for maybe a week. I won't say this is my last update for a while, but the next break might be a bit longer than anticipated, what with school coming up as well.**

 **And, without further ado, I present chapter six, my 'pick-me-up' after a disappointing chapter five.**

 **As an added note, this chapter was posted a bit late as to my usual morning schedule simply because FanFiction is currently down. I'm not sure why, but I can't seem to log in without getting some service error. I wrote this message in advance to let you guys know that it was not my intention to stray off of my update schedule, but rather it was due to an unforeseen hindrance.**

 **Again, read, review, relax, rate, and above all, enjoy! (I can't find a decent synonym for enjoy that started with 'r' besides relish and revel, which both sound creepy)**

 **If wishes were horses I still wouldn't own SVTFOE or anything related to it. I don't know what that meant either...**

* * *

(Marco Diaz's POV)

The black town car grinded to a halt as they reached their destination. A wide grassland with sparse placement of a few trees and shrubs.

The grassy plains rolled as the wind swam its way through their limp tendrils, the sound of cicadas buzzed softly around them, and the heat of the atmosphere was dissipated by the breeze that swept the open field.

 _Another beautiful sun-filled cloudless summer day._

The photographer had asked to meet them at this remote location just a half mile out of town. Apparently post-wedding photos were a huge deal.

Marco stepped out of the stuffy car and made his way around to the other side. Opening the car door, he offered a hand to.. his _wife_.

The thought hadn't fully indented his brain yet. It was going to take some getting used to. Gently, he helped her exit the car, her dress getting stuck in every nook and cranny of the vehicle's interior.

"I think the photographer's running late." Marco began after finally pulling her free from the car's grip.

"He probably ran into some traffic. How about we find somewhere to sit? These heels are killing me!" She daintily lifted one foot and gave Marco a pouty face.

"Hey! You're one to talk, I've been wearing these archless bricks for shoes," he mimicked her by lifting one of his black dress shoes, "not to mention I carried you pretty much most of today."

Erica let out a laugh. "Would you like me to carry you instead, 'Your Highness'?"

Marco raised an eyebrow, "And what if I said yes?"

"Well let's see!" Swiftly, she swept Marco up, attempting to recreate his act during the wedding ceremony.

"Woah- I didn't mean you had to actually do it!" Marco cried out as she started walking towards a large tree down the path.

"Hmphhh!" She was struggling to hold him up. She was strong, years of martial arts training had given her strength, but Marco was definitely no lightweight. "You're too heavy!"

Her arms finally gave out. She collapsed on top of him just a few feet away from the shade of the tree.

Both cracking up at the entire event, they remained stuck in their entanglement for a minute.

"Here," Marco finally said, propping himself up with his elbow, "let's just park under this tree." Erica nodded in agreement as they shuffled their way beneath the tree's shadow.

Leaning with their backs against the solid trunk, they sat there, unmoving, listening to the wind whistle through the branches. A few moments passed.

"Some day so far huh?" Erica questioned rhetorically.

Marco tilted his head to look at her, "Yeah. And it's only..." He lifted his arm, pulling back his sleeve revealing his digital watch, "...12:30."

Erica smirked, "I just wanna sit here and enjoy the shade, and the peace and quiet."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Well that's a first."

She playfully smacked him in the chest. "Shut up."

Marco chuckled. She was always so energetic and outgoing, it was nice to see her take her time and enjoy the small things in life, like the silence that surrounded them.

Silence. Marco looked around. Everything was just so peaceful. He couldn't remember the last time when he ever felt so at ease. No pressure, no expectations, no fear. Just calm.

The last time he felt truly content.

* * *

 _(10 Years Ago, Spring)_

 _Marco sat cross legged atop the grassy hill. He reached over to his left and plucked a daisy from the ground. Absentmindedly, he rolled it around in his hand, eyes glaring blankly at the view before him. Night had just fallen, the sky became blackened, stars dotting its surface like fireflies. His parents must have been worried as to his whereabouts, but he didn't care. He didn't want care about anything._

 _"She loves me not."_

 _Crushing the daisy in his palm he threw the withered flower as far as he could. The wind blew it back at his face._

 _He grumbled, smacking the dead plant away. Now even nature was against him. He lay down on his back and shut his eyes, trying to drown the memory from that morning._

* * *

 _It was a month before the school formal, the famed, 'Prom Night'. He was ready to ask his girlfriend of two amazing years, Jackie Lynn Thomas, to be his date in front of all his classmates during first period._

 _He had heart shaped balloons, streamers, and rose petals strewn around the room. Luckily his teacher allowed him to do this, after Marco promised to clean up this mess. And the teachers lounge. But it was worth it._

 _Written in pink, white and red chalk, decorated with many hearts, was simply:_

 _"Will you go to Prom with me?" The "o" in 'Prom' was replaced with another heart._

 _He sat at the front of the classroom waiting._

 _Finally the bell rang. It was go time. Students began filing into the class slowly, each making inaudible whispers to one another at the sight of Marco's handiwork._

 _Star skipped into the room. "Ooooh Marco! Looooove what you've done with the place! Mr. Johnson would never let me decorate his room, at least, not after what happened last time." She shuddered, faintly recalling the wail of fire alarms and police sirens._

 _"Haha thanks Star, I'm hoping Jackie will like it too."_

 _"Awww that's so sweet of you! And," she peered around him at the message on the board, "I'm sure she'll say yes." She gave Marco a wink before taking her seat._

 _Two minutes passed, and Jackie finally walked in through the doors. She was chatting with Janna and Hope until they stopped dead in their tracks and eyed the massive house of romantic decoration._

 _Jackie was stunned._

 _Marco approached her, and went down on one knee. "Ahem."_

 _"Um, Marco?"_

 _"Jackie Lynn Thomas,"_

 _"Marco."_

 _"Will you.."_

 _"Marco?"_

 _"Go to Prom-"_

 _"MARCO!" Jackie never shouted. Something was definitely wrong. "Please Marco, don't make me do this." She pleaded with him in whispers._

 _"What? No- I didn't- I mean I thought I-, that we-"_

 _"No Marco," tears formed in her eyes, "I can't go with to Prom with you." She bolted out the classroom crying. Jackie also never cried._

 _The classroom was silent. A pitiful 'aw' escaped from one of the onlookers._

 _Marco was speechless, he didn't know how to react. But however it was going to be, he didn't want to be near anyone when it happened._

 _Star, equally shocked, tried to get out of her desk to comfort him, "Marco, I'm so sorr-"_

 _He escaped the building as fast as he could._

* * *

 _Marco lay upon that hill for a while after that. Watching the sun dip below the horizon always seemed to calm him down. It was his favorite place to be alone._

 _He stared upwards at the star-filled night, feeling so small underneath the immense, darkened sky. So insignificant._

 _"How could I have been so stupid?" He muttered quietly to himself. Rolling onto his side, he wiped his watering eyes with his sleeve._

 _A bright flash of pink light blinded him for a second._

 _"Huh?" He looked up as a tissue slowly drifted downwards, softly cascading its way onto his face._

 _Removing the handkerchief, he sat up and looked around._

 _"I thought you could use that." Star's voice. Of course she found him._

 _He flopped back down onto his side, facing the other way this time. "Leave me alone, Star, I'm not feeling well."_

 _"Aww Marco, c'mon cheer up!"_

 _No response._

 _"Marco!"_

 _Still nothing._

 _"Please Marco!"_

 _He was obviously ignoring her._

 _"Fine. Be that way."_

 _She lay down next to him, his back still facing towards her._

 _Minutes passed, then hours, until eventually the world around them descended into slumber. Leaving the two alone to their thoughts._

 _Marco sighed. She was definitely the stubborn one._

 _"I thought she loved me too.." Star's ears perked up when she heard him speak._

 _"She did! Er- she does!"_

 _"Then... Why?" He rotated onto his backside, staring straight up at the sky._

 _"...You really don't know do you?" Her tone suddenly dropped._

 _"Know what?"_

 _"Marco, she's moving away. I talked to her after class. She's still a trainwreck."_

 _"But that's not for another-" Marco was in shock._

 _"I know what she told you, but she's actually moving in a week, she just couldn't bear to tell you of all people." She paused. "She didn't want to hurt you, Marco."_

 _He couldn't believe it. Was she actually leaving him? Why didn't she let him know? He could've made it work, he could've done_ _ **something**_ _, he could've... he could've..._

 _"Her parents are moving out there with her, but because her dad got a job transfer to the East Coast as well, they had to leave early. She tried hiding it from you so that it would be easier to accept that she was gone."_

 _He could've held her back. The words stung his heart._

 _Marco sighed, "So, she's breaking up with me too?"_

 _No answer. It wasn't needed._

 _"Marco, I know it's hard, but, she's got a great future ahead of her, you can't keep holding onto her like this, not after all these years."_

 _"I know."_

 _Star sat up, clearly surprised._

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yeah. She has a life, I have a life, it was bound to happen. I just wished I could've made her last few days special."_

 _"Marco! You're her boyfriend! Of course there's still time! She's not gone yet, try to make her happy! Send her off with a smile."_

 _Marco chuckled. "I'm not the expert at laughs, that's you."_

 _She grinned back at him, "So you want my help?"_

 _"No. Please no."_

 _Star burst out in laughter. Marco couldn't help but join in._

 _"You ready to go home now Marco? Your parents are worried sick."_

 _"Actually," He pulled out his cellphone and sent a quick text to his parents, "let's just stay here for a while longer."_

 _Another pink flash of light, Star was holding two fluffy pink blankets and two pillows._

 _"Waaaay ahead of you Diaz!" She proudly stated._

 _Laying down the first blanket on the ground, they set the two pillows beneath their heads and covered themselves up in the second soft pink layer, snuggling together for warmth._

 _"So," Star began, "no more tears?"_

 _Marco smiled back, "No more tears."_

 _"Good." She closed her eyes._

 _"Hey Star?" She reopened them._

 _"Yeah?"_

 _A final pause. "Thanks. For everything."_

 _She smiled back at him again before closing her eyes once more. They fell asleep together under the light of a thousand heavenly glowflies._

 _He always felt so at ease when she was by his side._

* * *

 _(Present Day)_

He felt Erica's fingers intertwine with his, he turned his head to face her.

"Thinking about something?"

"Just how perfect everything is."

"You're so cheesy." She rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed there in perfect stillness until eventually drifting off to sleep.

Two hours later, a second black car rolled up next to the first one.

The wedding photographer stepped out his car and slung his camera bag over his shoulder. Rushing to the trunk, he pulled out umbrellas, stands and other equipment. He looked around. Where were they?

He finally discovered them peacefully napping next to each other beneath a tall oak tree, hands still clutching each other's. Smiling, he dropped all his excess equipment and fumbled around in his camera bag.

Quietly approaching the couple, he snapped a few shots of the two, and checked them over to make sure they were perfect before finally making his way over to the couple and shaking them awake from slumber.

* * *

 **And there you have it! Chapter six, my most cutesy chapter to date! (Personal opinion).**

 **I am sooooo tired right now. After I got inspired for this part, I couldn't help but get started immediately. And as soon as I started, I couldn't stop. Ideas flowed into my head like crazy and I, at one point couldn't keep up with my thoughts and had to create a point form list for this chapter summarizing everything I wanted to incorporate.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, I hope you all enjoyed the story, remember, I write for you guys not myself (okay a bit for myself).**

 **And as always, criticisms and reviews are greatly appreciated. The story has begun its descent back to solid ground, so stay tuned for a scintillating chapter seven!**

* * *

 **Update Note: I apologize sincerely, but this story may not be continued for a while after all. While I have finished chapter seven, I honestly do not believe that it is up to the standard that I would believe you, my audience, would enjoy. Due to that as well as other personal matters I have been dealing with, I do not feel ambitious nor motivated enough to continue this project and as a result will have to go on a hiatus for an undefined period of time. I will, however, come back to this story eventually but I wanted to inform all my current and future readers that there will be a lack of activity from my account for this amount of time while I work through this difficult time in my life. Again I sincerely apologize to you, the reader, for this unexpected turn of events but I do not want my personal life to interfere with my writing anymore, as I am sure you may understand that the last few chapters were not as well written as I had anticipated for myself. Thank you all for your support, and I hope you can forgive me. Watermalone out.**


	7. Chapter 7

(Star Butterfly's POV)

The portal opened and closed as quickly as Star slipped through it.

Her room. Just as quiet and unkempt as before.

 _Just as empty as before._

She hoped no one had noticed she was gone just yet. She needed to be alone for a long while.

Pony Head had promised to cover for her, and thus, cut open a portal straight into Star's bedroom with her dimensional scissors.

13 years. 13 long insufferable years had she been tormented with being his best friend.

Why couldn't she just let go?

She couldn't bear to cause him harm, and she was too hurt to see him happy. She sat down in front of her mirror. What was there left that she could do?

Her reflection stared back at her. She spoke softly to it.

"I do not love Marco Diaz."

Her left eyebrow seemed to lift on the 7th syllable.

" _I,_ do NOT, love Marco Diaz." No that was wrong.

"I **do** not love _Marco."_ Hmmm, closer? No. It was wrong. It was _all_ wrong. Everything was just _wrong!_

She tilted her head, the reflection mimicking her action.

"I love you, Marco Diaz." Of course the words were like velvet, rolling off her tongue so easily _._ She giggled to herself. She stood up, still facing the mirror and struck a ridiculously dramatic pose, her back hand resting on her forehead.

"Why yes, Marco, I would love to marry you! Oh we'll have such a grand life! We can start a family, maybe raise some kids and live _so happily_ together!" Her voice grew frighteningly shrill.

It was as though a symphony of soft violins and violas were playing behind her, she felt so light as she twirled around the room, left hand placed slightly forward of her, her other arm outstretched to her right.

Star hummed the waltz, still spinning around, and around and around. The heels started to pain her feet, but she didn't care. The music was so melodious, the lights were dimmed, the moment was _perfect._

She was beyond giddy with delusion, carelessly dragging herself about the room, knocking things off of stands, kicking furniture out of the way, a destructive trance of bliss.

Suddenly, the tempo began to change, the grand finale was coming! The atmosphere grew tense, her heart fluttered quicker, louder, harder, until, the climax! She spun around on her toes, faster and faster until...

Her face slammed into the bed post, pulling her back into reality.

"Ugh- owww." Star rubbed her stinging nose and readjusted her vision to the destruction of her room. The tall heels she wore left scrape marks all over the hardwood floor, many of her belongings laid strewn around various location in her bedchamber, her mirror somehow had a crack in it, perhaps from her swaying arms.

She looked into the mirror once more. Her broken gaze met its counterpart. A large crack had torn itself across the center, streaking diagonal down her face. Her hand reached up to touch her own face, as though feeling the split down her own visage.

"What's wrong with me?" She whispered to her reflection.

Hoping for a reply.

Silence was her only response.

 _THUNK THUNK THUNK_

The sudden knocking on her wooden door startled her from her thoughts. Panicking, Star glanced around the messied state of her room and immediately aimed her wand skyward.

"Rainbow restoration beam!" A bright spectrum of light burst forth from the magic wand, engulfing her room, nearly blinding her. When the brightness dissipated, her room was perfectly back to the way it was before, saved by another perfectly timed usage of such an "advanced" spell she had mastered not long ago. (Although regretfully it probably would have done her more service 13 years prior.)

"Ah shoot, not again." Star mumbled, rubbing her strained eyes. Smoothing out her dress and attempting to fix her hair, she staggered over towards the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

She pawed clumsily at the door knob a few times before she managed to crack it open, her vision still obscured by the rainbow flashbang she recently set off.

"Uhh, yes? What is it?"

" _Hey_."

Despite her sight blurring the figure before her, there was absolutely no mistaking that voice.


End file.
